November 2012 Archives

... "Where is the Christmas Music?!?" The morning show at legacy adult pop station WNIC-FM 100.3 (Fresh 100.3) posed the question to it's listeners this morning via Facebook and has been flooded with responses to the question, Now, Later, After Thanksgiving, or December?

Clearly from looking over those replies, there is plenty of support out there for dusting off the Yuletide tunes as soon as the candle in the pumpkin is extinguished. So the real questions this first day of November become 'which station does it first', WNIC or pop rival WMGC-FM 105.1, and 'how long can they afford to wait'?

SpinalColumn:

The Milford Township Planning Commission at its Thursday, Oct. 25 meeting approved recommending a wireless overlay zone and special use permit for seven 199-foot radio broadcast towers to be built on the border of Wixom and Milford Township. Both votes were close as the recommendations were each passed by a 5-4 margin. Sima Birach, the owner of Southfield-based Birach Broadcasting Corporation, asked for a rezoning, special use and site plan approval for the towers -- proposed to be located off Maple Road, just west of the Wixom Department of Public Works facility on Charms Road -- after he purchased two parcels totaling more than 61 acres so he could relocate the towers from Fenton to Milford Township.

Some visitors to the Michigan Radio & TV Buzzboard discussion forum are reporting today that they cannot access the popular site and instead are being redirected to a placeholder page. It appears that there is some type of domain name issue causing the redirect.

Users familiar and comfortable with editing their computer's hosts file may still be able to reach the Buzzboard using IP address 74.124.203.171. Changes to the hosts file are done at your own risk - and may cause further issues should the IP address of the host server change in the future.

Update 11:00 p.m.: DNS issues have been resolved and the redirect problem should be gone within the next 24 hours

A 5-4 vote last week has the Milford Township Planning Commission recommending rezoning a parcel that abuts Wixom and creating a wireless communications overlay district that is needed for a proposed radio antenna cluster to be built there. It's now up to the township's Board of Trustees to decide whether to go along with the recommendations -- which will determine if Sima Birach of Birach Broadcasting Corp. moves forward with his plan to build seven, 199-foot towers to service two of his AM radio stations: Fenton-based WCXI-AM (1160) and Walled Lake-based WPON-AM (1460).

Windsor, Ontario Radio Canada French language (La Première Chaîne network) station CBEF AM 540 has started simulcasting on AM 1550, the former home of English language CBC Radio 1. The French programming will leave AM 540 after a period of simulcasting to take advantage of the stronger signal of AM 1550. Radio One programming is now heard on FM.

Minutes before TV broadcast, Randy Scott has a bone to pick with his sports anchor. "Hey Shawn, CarMAN, not CarMEN," Scott said, referring to the way Carman-Ainsworth schools was misspelled on the day's script.

Holiday standards from Bing Crosby, Burl Ives and Brenda Lee bring Christmas cheer in the form of fourth-quarter revenue boosts for radio stations that change format this time of year. Local stations annually switch to a Christmas music format in November, following a nationwide trend that radio analysts said broadcasters have adopted in large numbers in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.

Art Neil learned a lot of things about working in front of a camera from Marc Wesley. More important, Neil learned how to act when the camera wasn't on. Wesley was a fixture as the sports director on WNEM-TV 5 from 1965 until he retired in 1991, becoming a familiar face to sports fans in the Great Lakes Bay area and in Flint. Wesley died Monday, Nov. 5 at the Cartwright Care Center in Saginaw. He was 81.

Grand Rapids has not one but two All-Christmas stations as of this morning: Following WTRV's midnight flip, Clear Channel Soft Rock WSRW-FM 105.7 (Star 105.7) made its annual switchover at about 6 a.m.

Detroit ABC affiliate WXYZ-TV Ch. 7, along with the Detroit 300 Conservancy, will "Light Up the Season," with the annual holiday tree lighting ceremony, live from the heart of Detroit at Campus Martius Park on Friday, November 16th, 7:30-8 p.m. Hosted by news anchors Carolyn Clifford and Stephen Clark, "Light Up The Season" will feature performances by Detroit vocalist KEM, the Michigan Philharmonic Orchestra Brass Quintet, the Detroit Skating Club, the Arctic Figure Skating Club and the Metropolitan Opera Theatre Children's Chorus, as well as a visit from Santa himself.

Two Soft Rock/Pop stations in Detroit made their annual flip to All-Christmas music earlier today; Clear Channel's WNIC-FM 100.3 (Fresh 100.3) and Greater Media's WMGC-FM 105.1 (Today's 105.1) will be all-Yule all the time through Christmas. They join a pair of stations in Grand Rapids (WSRW-FM 105.7 and WTRV 100.5) that flipped earlier in the week. It's expected that stations in other markets across Michigan will follow suit soon.

More Christmas cheer: In the Toledo, OH market, competing soft rock/pop stations WMIM-FM 98.3 and WRVF-FM 101.5 switched to playing all-Christmas music on Friday. The region (southern Michigan / northwest Ohio) was home to at least 6 full-time Christmas stations out of about 40 across the country that had switched for this previous weekend.

WXMI-TV's Emily Richett is moving on. What's next for the FOX 17 personality has yet to be revealed, but Richett announced Monday, Nov. 11, that this is her last week at the West Michigan FOX-TV affiliate.

Another addition to the options for Christmas music in southeast Michigan as Radio First AM simulcasters WHLS 1450 Port Huron and WHLX 1590 Marine City have stopped the oldies/classic hits and joined the holiday parade.

Cumulus/Detroit hosting 7th Annual Canned Food Festival Nov. 14

WDVD-FM 96.3, WDRQ-FM 93.1, and WJR AM 760, in partnership with MJR Digital Cinemas, will host their 7th annual Canned Film Festival food drive to benefit Gleaners Food Bank of Southeast Michigan. On Wednesday, November 14th, bring five canned good items to any of the seven participating MJR Digital Cinemas, and receive free admission to any movie, that day only, any time from 4:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. It's a "win-win" situation to help feed the area's hungry while getting to see a first-run movie.

96.3 WDVD's afternoon host, Jesse, will be broadcasting live from 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. at the new MJR Westland Grand Digital Cinema located at 6800 North Wayne Road, Westland, MI 48185.

All canned food donated during the Canned Film Festival will be collected and distributed by Gleaners Food Bank to food providers in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb and Livingston Counties.

Kroger has issued a challenge to the public: for every Kroger brand canned good donated, Kroger will MATCH the donations up to $5,000.

Last year's Canned Film Festival was highly successful with over 9,000 people attending the seven MJR Digital Cinemas, and donating over 47,000 pounds of food.

Another station goes all-Christmas as MacDonald Broadcasting's WSAG-FM 104.1 Pinconning / WSAM AM 1400 Saginaw make the seasonal flip from soft rock. An update to an earlier report from Toledo - WRVF-FM 101.5 went back to their normal programming on Monday, but will program Christmas this coming weekend and then go full time with the holiday format by Thanksgiving weekend.

Rich Spicer exits as Operations Manager at MacDonald-Garber's cluster in Cadillac that includes Hot AC WLXV-FM 96.7 (Mix 96), Sports WKAD-FM 93.7 and News/Talk WATT AM 1240. Spicer, who was also morning host at Mix 96, is exiting radio to take a teaching position.

Detroit News: Sonny Eliot, the Metro Detroit weatherman known for a flurry of one-liners, has died at the age of 91. According to WWJ-AM (950) -- the radio station he called home for decades -- Eliot died at his Farmington Hills home with family by his side. // Full story: Famed weatherman Sonny Eliot dead at age 91 (Fri, 11/16)

Detroit Free Press: Sonny Eliot, whose radio and television career ran longer than any other broadcaster in Detroit history, died Thursday at his home in Farmington Hills, according to reports. // Full story: Sonny Eliot, longtime Detroit broadcaster, dies at 91 (Fri, 11/16)

Alberts himself broke the news yesterday via his Facebook page: "As of this morning I am no longer with Greater Media Detroit. WCSX has been one of the highlights of my career, and what a great staff. I will miss the many folks I worked with here. It was truly an honor to program and work for this company in Detroit. Who knows what's next for me. Only time will tell!"

Alberts is a native Michigander that had been programming 'CSX for the past couple of years and before that had been with Citadel in Grand Rapids and Lansing for eight years where he had last been overseeing rock programming. His contract was not renewed with WCSX.

Buzz Knight, Greater Media's Vice President of Program Development in Detroit adds programming responsibilities for WCSX while a search takes place for a full time replacement for Alberts.

I grew up in the 70s and 80s watching a whole lot of television weathercasts. It was a great time period to become fascinated with weather. We had the tornado outbreak in 1974, the Thanksgiving snowstorm in 1975, the ice storm of 1976, and of course the blizzard of 1978. During that era, watching all of these storms being broadcast by our favorite TV weatherperson formed many of the meteorologists you watch today.

Mitch Albom and WJR-AM (760) are teaming up to raise money for Detroit charities, they announced Friday. The Mitch Albom S.A.Y. Detroit Radiothon will take place Nov. 27 at the Somerset Collection in Troy.

Country music is now being beamed into Northern Michigan from a new transmitting base near Indian River. Straits Country 95.3 FM is licensed by the FCC to operate as WWSS, Tuscarora Township. The radio station's owner, Dave Smith, said Thursday his programming fills a need in the Northern Michigan market.

Katrina Hancock announced via Facebook that she'll be leaving her role as weekend sports anchor and weekday sports reporter at NBC affiliate WDIV-TV Ch. 4 Detroit after this coming weekend.
Her comments on the social media site: "Hey everyone, I want to thank you for your support of my work over the past six years, but I have decided that it's time to take a break from the business and move on. I have enjoyed working in such an amazing sports city and I've been blessed to cover some wonderful stories. I truly do love Detroit. I will always be an ambassador for this city for the rest of my life. The people make this city so amazing and I'm so happy to have called Detroit my home for the past 6 years."

Charter Communications cable subscribers may lose WOOD-TV, WOTV-TV and WXSP-TV next week if the station owners do not reach a new agreement with the cable provider. In West Michigan, Charter Communications provides cable services in the towns of Greenville, Grand Haven, Holland, Allegan, Big Rapids, Ludington and Portage.

Can Art Vuolo still jock? As a special Thanksgiving weekend treat on this Sunday November 25th, Art Vuolo, known for years as "Radio's Best Friend" will try is hand at doing an oldies DJ show on an Internet station from Cleveland, OH. The site is a recreation of the legendary WIXY1260 (1965-1975). So, write it down and prepare your computer, smart phone or Internet radio for 3 to 6 pm EST to hear if Mr. Vuolo can still hit a post! It's www.wixy1260online.com and is in no way affiliated with the WIXY of today (country) in Champaign, IL, Saga Communications or Ed Christian. Art says it will go well with leftovers and NFL football with the TV sound turned down.

'Dave and Chuck the Freak' have exited mornings at BellMedia Modern Rock CIMX-FM 88.7 (89X) Windsor/Detroit. The Windsor Star expects the trio (Dave Hunter and Chuck Urquhart along with Lisa Way) to land at another broadcaster after receiving a better offer that wasn't matched by BellMedia.

With Thanksgiving now behind us, time to update the list of stations that have gone to all-Christmas programming around the region. Stations confirmed as on board include WHNN-FM 96.1 Bay City, WFMK-FM 99.1 Lansing, WRVF-FM 101.5 Toledo, and WBXX-FM 104.9 Battle Creek.

Go Blue Then & Now and ESPN Radio Detroit celebrate Michigan sports philanthropy during Thanksgiving week

Go Blue Then and Now, a not for profit corporation, and ESPN Radio Detroit (WCAR AM 1090) have joined for Thanksgiving week to raise awareness for numerous charitable foundations created by Michigan alumni football letter winners.

During Thanksgiving week, ESPN Detroit Radio is doing on air interviews of Michigan M Men who will share their thoughts on the upcoming game against Ohio State and provide updates on their current efforts to give back to their communities through player foundations and in working with young athletes. The interviews will allow Michigan fans insights into prior battles with the Buckeyes and to learn about players giving back. The broader focus is to share the Michigan tradition of philanthropy by both the Michigan Athletic Department and those who learned values on the Michigan playing fields.

Fans will have an opportunity to call in and talk to these former Michigan stars. Among those scheduled for interviews are Chris Howard, Phil Brabbs, Chris Perry, Todd Howard and David Underwood. On air appearances will be during the one to four ET afternoon show.

Windsor Star:

It's a black Friday for 89X listeners in the Windsor-Detroit area today. After more than 10 years of being on air, the wacky radio morning show hosts of Dave and Chuck "The Freak" have called it quits.

A radio team known for its risque brand of humor has left its long-time Windsor home. The Dave and Chuck "the Freak" show, broadcast on CMIX-FM (88.7), will no longer be part of the station's lineup, having accepted an undisclosed offer to work elsewhere, said Eric Proksch, vice president and general manager for Bell Media Radio in Windsor-Detroit.

It's a different kind of Black Friday for 89X listeners. Early this morning Dave Hunter and Charles Urquhart, otherwise known as the host of the station's "Dave and Chuck the Freak" morning show, announced on their Facebook page that the show was history.

... And that is what I'm doing. Asking you to come to a mall. Well, the Somerset Collection in Troy. More than a mall, really. A high-end, retail shopping experience, or, for purposes of this column, a charity event that has my larynx worried. On Tuesday, from the north side of the Somerset Collection, we will attempt to broadcast for 15 hours straight, 6 a.m.-9 p.m., to raise funds for Detroit's neediest citizens this holiday season.

For sale: Land, buildings, and broadcast towers once used by the currently silent WHFB AM 1060 and Country WHFB-FM 99.9. The $250,000 sale price likely does not include the license for the FM, which is operated out of South Bend, IN and was recently part of a separate sale. Real estate listing here.

Off the air: The syndicated Laura Ingraham program which had been heard on several stations in Michigan. The host has left her syndicator (Talk Radio Network) and her future plans have not yet been revealed.

Announced: Public radio station Michigan Radio (WUOM-FM 91.7) and the Ann Arbor Summer Festival will welcome America's favorite storyteller, Garrison Keillor, to Ann Arbor on Saturday, June 1, 2013, at 5:45 p.m. for a special live performance of "A Prairie Home Companion". The show will take place at Hill Auditorium on the campus of the University of Michigan, as part of that historic venue's 100th anniversary celebration. Tickets will be available starting in April.

Updated: The status of former Modern Rock CIMX-FM 88.7 Windsor/Detroit (89X) morning hosts Dave and Chuck 'The Freak' - they are now sitting out a six month non-compete clause, increasing speculation they will reappear on a Detroit-based station sometime this coming Spring once they are legally able to do so.

After 15 straight hours on the air, Free Press columnist Mitch Albom, his voice still strong but physically spent, ended his first S.A.Y. Detroit Radiothon with a big number: $401,321.34! That's how much listeners contributed to the S.A.Y. (Super All Year) Detroit charities, founded by Albom, and their partner programs, such as Working Homes/Working Families, 100 Houses, A Time To Help, S.A.Y. Detroit Family Health Clinic and Detroit Dream Scholars.

While many TV stations use social media like facebook or twitter to connect with their viewers, Detroit anchor Stephen Clark may have found a way to translate those clicks and tweets into viewership. In the video above, the anchor for the Detroit ABC affiliate WXYZ tells the story of his ongoing twitter conversation called #backchannel.

A public service will be held next week for beloved and wacky weatherman Sonny Eliot who died earlier this month at age 91. According to WWJ-AM (950) -- a station that broadcast Eliot from 1947 to 2010 -- Wayne State University will hold "Always Sonny!" on Dec. 6. The event is 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the university's Community Arts Auditorium, located at 450 Reuther Mall.

Wayne State University has announced it will host a memorial service next week for the late broadcaster Sonny Eliot. The well-known media personality and longtime broadcaster on WWJ-AM (950) radio died Nov. 16 at age 91.

Two television retransmission agreements affecting West Michigan are coming down to the wire.

Update: LIN and Charter reached an agreement and all of LIN's stations remained on Charter Cable today.

The first, between LIN Media and Charter Cable, is set to expire at 5 p.m. today potentially affecting Charter customers that receive LIN's NBC affiliate WOOD-TV Ch. 8 Grand Rapids, ABC affiliate WOTV-TV Ch. 41 Battle Creek, and My affiliate WXSP-TV Ch. 15 Grand Rapids. A statement from LIN reads, "We are working hard to reach a new agreement with Charter, however, we feel it is our duty to keep our viewers informed when a contract deadline approaches and a new agreement has not yet been reached. If we do not reach an agreement, by law, Charter cannot carry our signal on its cable system. Our stations are important assets to the local community. Without a fair agreement, we will not be able to provide the premiere news, sports, entertainment, weather, traffic updates, political coverage and other local and national programming that is most important to you. Please call 1-888-438-2427 and tell Charter that you do not want to lose your favorite programming."

Another negotiation is underway between DirecTV and Gannett, owner of Grand Rapids ABC affiliate WZZM-TV Ch. 13. That agreement is set to expire on December 1st - without a new agreement or extension in place by then, expect WZZM to come off DirecTV at midnight tomorrow.

Now that the Dodgers are closing in on a $6 billion-$7 billion television deal, their haul for granting Fox Sports the privilege to carry their games, it's understandable if the Tigers and other teams are jealous, angry, or even a tad homicidal. They'd appreciate even half of that $240 million-$280 million per year the Dodgers are projected to pull in once the new contract's ink is dry within a few days or weeks.